Medusa

11/30/2012

Covergirl: The red + blue + white stars brought the Dukes of
Hazzard to mind, which I guess is somewhat appropriate as Wonder Woman wears even less clothing to fight evil than Daisy wore to wait tables.

Re: the cowboy, looking quickly, I thought
perhaps Jonah Hex was making a guest appearance, but that would be too much
crossy-crossy for one issue.

Ramble: We’ve gone from believing Medusa to be a covert and
nefarious organization snaking its way into the creepy crawly Gotham
underworld, to the realization that Medusa is one being, ironically and
appropriately statuesque. I like that she began as a broad, big concept and
ends as a single self. The narrowing pleases.

The devil on my right shoulder enjoyed Medusa’s evil plans
coming to fruition, while the angel on my left got verklempt during the Pegasus
section. (My left shoulder angel bears a striking resemblance to Linda Richman.)

I don’t usually tear up during a comic book, but Pegasus
grabbed me. His abused body, with violent holes where his marvelous wings once
were, saddened me nearly to the point of tears. Wonder Woman too: After she
grants him mercy via slicing Pegasus degraded head off with her merciful sword she
sheds a superheroic droplet.

I don’t need to say the art rocked. Rolled. Ruled. But I
will say it because I aim for 500 words with these posts and I’m only at 228.

Now I’ll say f*** the word count and end with an awesome
image, my favorite in the book. I could have used these ladies on my team in
junior high when the boys called me fish eyes and mocked my aristocratic high
forehead.

08/20/2012

COVERGIRL: My dad’s old school, preferring to riff on the Lord’s name when angry, instead of employing more vulgar and, in my opinion, satisfactory cusses. In deference to him, and in response to the Batwoman-Wonder Woman combo promised by this cover, I say a hearty, “GOD DAMN!”

INSIDE STORY: Batwoman seeks Sune and her gaggle of horrific urban legends brought to life. Employing the help of werewolf Kyle Abbot, she find Bloody Mary, whose myth little Gotham girls recite at slumber parties to engender the chills.

Instead of collapsing into giggles like Gotham’s tweens, Batwoman summons the demon spirit. Mary informs Batwoman that Medusa isn’t an organization, but rather the Queen Monster, snake-tressed Gorgon of old.

Gotham’s superheroes face a variety of evils, but Greek gods are the stuff of someone else's legend: Wonder Woman’s. Batwoman tells DEO boss Bones it’s time to bring in the Amazon.

Though Kate Kane doesn’t reach out to Diana until book’s end, Wonder Woman’s current status is woven (gorgeously) throughout the book. She’s battling a serpentine crew, and vows to destroy them all. Serpentine. Medusa. Do I have to spell it out?

Also, Gotham parents grieving for their kidnapped children berate poor hard-working Maggie Sawyer. Kate’s not up to the task of comforting. She’s off to Paradise Island.

Also, Bette Kane/Flamebird is out of the hospital and living with Uncle Jake.

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. I’m always blathering on about the art in this book, so I won’t. But really. Gorgeous.

The juxtaposition of Wonder Woman’s story and Batwoman’s, which can’t help but be awesome for the awesomeness of the awesome women, is the more brilliant for the writing.

I never noticed how distinct Batwoman’s voice is, probably because I was so busy drooling over the art. (Have I mentioned gorgeous?) She’s of Gotham, matter-of-fact and about the facts; closer to Batman-speak than quippy Batgirl’s intelligent chatter.

Wonder Woman, who in her own book remains fairly silent, the better to shine in the midst of her garrulous family’s mad bickering, here speaks like a grandiloquent stereotype of herself. Alone she might sound ridiculous, but when her godly speech runs alongside Batwoman’s straight prose … genius!

I had been excited for September, for all the #0 backstorying, but now I just want to skip ahead to October and see what happens next. Perhaps Harrison’s will let me set up a tent.

WHO THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE?

Kate Kane: Survived a brutal kidnapping by terrorists that killed her mother and turned her sister into a crazy villain. West Point student, expelled under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Dating Detective Sawyer.

Batwoman: Kate’s awesome superhero alter-ego. Currently working with Agent Chase and the DEO, who will arrest Kate's dad if she doesn’t help them.

Kyle Abbot: Werewolf; sometimes villainous, sometimes helpful

Bloody Mary: Spirit of Mary Worth, who went on a she-killing rampage after her husband proved unfaithful. Hanged. Brought back to miserable half-life, presumably by Medusa, to help capture children.

Bones: Batwoman’s boss in the DEO. His name is literal. The man’s a skeletal version of The X-Files’ Cigarette Smoking Man.

Bette Kane/Flamebird: Kate’s cousin/Batwoman’s former mentee, member of Teen Titans/tennis star. Felled and rendered comatose by one of Medusa’s minions; now back to life and living with Uncle Jake Kane.

05/30/2012

COVERGIRL: Reminds me a little of Supergirl 9, what with the circles, but also makes me think of the radar on a submarine. That image helped along by the sea creature in the corner.

There’s this move the over-caffeinated exercise teacher at the Y makes us do, where we stretch our arms back and push our shoulder blades together. I used to think we looked like chickens doing it, but now I know we look like Batwoman on the cover of issue 9.

Or maybe Batwoman looks like a chicken, too.

Bok bok bok kablammie!

INSIDE STORY: Via flashback, Kate & Sune & Agent Chase continue their efforts to bring down Medusa via head honcho Falchion, who by day pretends he’s a yachting playboy. Kate snags an invite to an on-boat gala he’s hosting. She ditches her date, Detective Sawyer, to rummage through Falchion things with Sune, who Falchion still believes is working for him/Medusa. Mid-rummage Sune, in a rather sideways fashion, admits to a crush on Kate.

Following? There’s more!

Back the the hospital, where Kate’s cousin Bette, aka Teen Titan Flamebird, goes into cardiac arrest as her uncle, Kate’s estranged dad Jake, watches in horror.

In the “now” portion of issue 9, Batwoman stars in some gorgeous art while going head-to-head with Falchion, who stabs Sune. As she lay dying or doing what looks a lot like dying but may be just suffering from a dramatic but nonfatal flesh wound, she kisses Batwoman. On the Batlips.

RAMBLE: Batwoman is action packed. As of issue 9, I’m going to go out on a gargoyle’s limb and say too action packed.

I love flashbacks, and I have great respect for the comic book artist who fills relatively few pages with relatively complex narrative. But I found myself losing the thread here.

Wait, what? We’re where? When? Did that just happen? Or has it not happened yet? Will it happen? When?

I love this book’s art, its story, its characters, its superhero. Had I not been trying to so hard to tease apart the narrative tangle, I might have been able to fully enjoy them.

WHO THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE?

Kate Kane: Survived a brutal kidnapping by terrorists that killed her mother and turned her sister into a crazy villain. West Point student, expelled under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Dating Detective Sawyer.

Batwoman: Kate’s awesome superhero alter-ego. Currently working with Agent Chase and the DEO, who will arrest her dad if she doesn’t help them.

DEO: Department of Extranormal Operations

Jake Kane: Kate’s dad and military big-wig. Kate won’t talk to him, though he’ll talk to her. He's been sitting vigil at Bette's bedside for several issues.

A slew of Gotham children are missing; presumably napped by a vile organization called Medusa. Batwoman/Kate Kane was prepared to seek Medusa and the missing children alone, but is now working with Agent Chase of the DEO after Chase threatened her father Jake. Police Detective Sawyer is also on the case, and is dating Kate. Kate’s cousin Bette, aka Teen Titan Flamebird, has been knocked unconscious by a bad guy with a hook, who turns out to be one of Falchion’s minions. Sune now works alongside Batwoman for the DEO, helping to bring down Falchion/Medusa.